Australia’s Central Bank Struck in Cyber Attack

Australia’s central back has confirmed it was hit in a cyber attack, but declined to comment on the source of the malware used.

By Chana Ya'ar

First Publish: 3/11/2013, 4:59 PM

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Israel news photo: Flash 90

Australia’s central back has confirmed it was hit in a cyber attack, but declined to comment on the source of the malware used.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) reassured depositors in a statement Monday thatno data had been lost or systems compromised.

“As reported in today’s media, the Bank has on occasion been the target of cyber attacks,” the Bank said in its statement. “The Bank has comprehensive security arrangements in place which have isolated these attacks and ensured that viruses have not been spread across the Bank’s network or systems.

“At no point have these attacks caused the Bank’s data or information to be lost or its systems to be corrupted.”

According to reports released under the Freedom of Information Act, the bank was hit by a malicious email attack in November 2011, using a virus that was undetectable by the bank’s anti-virus software, The Financial Express reported.

In February the Mandiant security firm reported that one group of hackers has been tracked to a building on the outskirts of Shanghai that houses a unit of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army.

China has been accused by several governments of perpetrating cyber attacks, not only against Australia but also against high-profile firms in the United States.